LEO Satellite Network Access in the Wild: Potentials, Experiences, and Challenges

TL;DR

This paper reports on deploying and evaluating Starlink satellite network access for wild salmon monitoring in remote Northern British Columbia, highlighting potentials, practical experiences, and challenges faced in such environments.

Contribution

It provides real-world insights into the use of LEO satellite networks in remote, environmentally challenging areas, and discusses technical, environmental, and regulatory hurdles.

Findings

Network access is promising but limited by environmental factors.

Portability and mobility of satellite dishes are feasible in remote settings.

Environmental and regulatory challenges need addressing for wider deployment.

Abstract

In the past three years, working with the Pacific Salmon Foundation and various First Nations groups, we have established Starlink-empowered wild salmon monitoring sites in remote Northern British Columbia, Canada. We report our experiences with the network services in these challenging environments, including deep woods and deep valleys, that lack infrastructural support with some close to Starlink's service boundary at the far north. We assess the portability and mobility of the satellite dishes and the quality of existing network access in underdeveloped countries that Starlink expects to cover. Our experiences suggest that network access based on LEO satellite constellations holds promise but faces hurdles such as energy supply constraints and environmental factors like temperature, precipitation, and solar storms. The presence of wildlife and respecting local residents' culture and heritage pose further complications. We envision several technical solutions addressing the challenges and believe that further regulations will be necessary.